Bag packages composed of flexible polymer materials have been used for packaging various types of products, such as infant diapers, feminine care products and adult incontinence garments. The bags allow a packaging of the articles to create a carton-like look and configuration which facilitates transportation and display on retail shelves. The bags typically include handles to facilitate the carrying of individual packages from the retail shelves, and can include mechanisms for providing an access opening through the top and end panels of the package.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,269 issued Feb. 24, 1981, to H. Peppiatt describes a bag of polymeric plastic material which has an opening at one end and a gusset at the opposite end. Within the gusset there is disposed a handle welded to front and rear panels of the bag along a fold line. The handle is shorter than the length of the gusset.
U.S. Pat. No. BI 4,573,203 (Reexamination Certificate) issued Apr. 18, 1989 (patent issued Feb. 25, 1986) describes a reusable plastic bag with a loop handle. The bag is for packaging goods in a sealed manner with perforations being provided to facilitate access to the goods without interfering with the reusability of the bag. A number of flexible bag designs have incorporated a mechanism which opens a predetermined portion of a tensioned side panel of the bag, without releasing the tension in the remainder of the side panel. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,978 issued Aug. 6, 1991, to M. Frank et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,535 issued June 1990 to Muckenfuhs et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,286 issued October 1990 to Muckenfuhs; U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,742 issued Sep. 24, 1991, to D. Muckenfuhs; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,619 issued Oct. 8, 1991, to D. Muckenfuhs.
Conventional plastic bags, such as those described above, however, have not provided the desired combination of convenient portability and a substantially interference-free access to the packaged articles through the top of the bag. The relatively large openings in the end panels of the package can too easily allow articles to fall out of the partially emptied package. In addition, the opening at the end panel can make it more difficult to use the partially filled package as a temporary carrier for accessory, personal care articles.